Recommendations made that would shrink Illinois governments

OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) - A task force appointed by Gov. Bruce Rauner recommended more than two dozen ways to shrink Illinois government and cut costs to taxpayers, though many ideas already have faced stiff opposition and the Republican acknowledged getting legislative approval won't be "just a walk in the park."

Several of the 27 recommendations announced Monday mirror anti-union measures that Rauner has unsuccessfully pushed since taking office last year, including allowing local governments to opt out of collective bargaining with public-worker unions. Others, such as consolidating school districts, have failed under previous governors.

"An entity of government is somebody's political power base. ... It's an opportunity for cronyism, for patronage, for pensions," Rauner said during an event in DuPage County. "Somebody's going to push back."

From county boards to mosquito abatement districts and municipalities, Illinois has almost 7,000 units of government - far more than any other state.

Rauner created the task force in February after campaigning on a promise to lower taxes and reduce government bureaucracy. He said Monday that the task force's suggestions, which also focused on eliminating unfunded mandates, could save taxpayers billions of dollars per year.

Rikeesha Phelon, spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, said the Chicago Democrat has supported efforts to consolidate local governments in the past. But she said attaching measures that would weaken labor unions could derail those efforts.

"They are tough to pass even in the purest form," she said of government consolidation proposals. "Recommendations that include anti-union poison pills make passage nearly impossible."

Rauner and Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, who led the task force, said the recommendations would be introduced as separate pieces of legislation and that she will visit communities across Illinois in the coming weeks to promote them.

Lawmakers return to Springfield next week, where the fight over union influence has been at the center of a state budget stalemate between Rauner and the majority Democrats.

Rauner insists that any tax increase be accompanied by "structural reforms" such as a property tax freeze and curbing union influence. Democrats say those efforts would drive down wages and hurt the middle class and Illinois' most vulnerable residents.